Samsung Galaxy S III concept

One of the most anticipated products currently is the Samsung Galaxy S III. Many were hoping to see it announced at MWC, but Samsung announced that this isn’t going to happen. Samsung’s own announcement party will be held on March 15, but currently it seems that the Galaxy S III will also miss this target. So when will this actually be announced then?

A recent report from South Africa indicates that the Galaxy S III will hit store in July! Both Cell C and Virgin Mobile in South Africa claim that their stores will see the Galaxy S III in July.

Some are suggesting that Samsung has intentionally delayed the Galaxy S III to shorten the gap between the announcement and public availability. I guess they learned this with the Galaxy S II, since it took a very long time from announcement to availability in the United States. Let’s hope Samsung really manages to shorten this gap.

LG Optimus 3D Max

LG just unveiled a new 3D smartphone called the LG  Optimus 3D Max (or in some parts LG Optimus 3D Cube). According to LG’s press release, this is the world’s first phone that can handle 3D photo and video editing right n the glasses-free 3D screen.

Most important specs:

• Chipset: 1.2GHz Dual-Core processor (OMAP4430)
• Display: 4.3-inch 3D WVGA Display with Corning Gorilla Glass 2
• Memory: 8GB Internal Storage, 1GB Internal Memory
• Camera: 5MP Dual-lens
• OS: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• Battery: 1,520 mAh
• Others: HSPA+ 21Mbps, HDMI connection 2D/3D TV/monitor up to 1080p via MHL, DNLA for wireless connection with TV/PC (3D video also supported), NFC Full Support, LG Tag+

The LG Optimus 3D Max will be available in Europe in March. The first batch will come with Android 2.3 on-board, and later updated to Android 4.0.

Hit View Post for the official press release and a few additional images.

LG WOWS THE WORLD AGAIN WITH OPTIMUS 3D MAX AT MWC 2012
More Than Just Glasses-Free 3D, Optimus 3D Max
Pushes the Boundaries of Power Features and Performance

SEOUL, Feb. 22, 2012 – Following in the footsteps of last year’s glasses-free 3D smartphone, LG Electronics will publicly unveil the Optimus 3D Max at the 2012 Mobile World Congress (MWC). With powerful 3D technology and sleeker design, the Optimus 3D Max provides a complete 3D entertainment platform and marks a big leap forward in the ever-expanding 3D ecosystem.

“The Optimus 3D Max was born from LG’s constant efforts to bring user entertainment experience to a higher level,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “The introduction of the Optimus 3D last year ushered in a new era for smartphones and Optimus 3D Max is real proof of LG’s commitment to portable 3D entertainment.”

LG Optimus 3D Max is equipped with diverse innovations and offers users with advancements including:

■ True Performance Muscle with Latest Mobile Technologies
LG Optimus 3D Max is a powerful smartphone in both 2D and 3D mode and a pleasure to view with LG’s exclusive brightened display. 3G’s network speed has been also improved to HSPA+ 21Mbps. LG Tag+ offers advanced NFC (Near Field Communication) capabilities designed to promote greater user convenience. One of its benefits is automatic setting changes which are possible by creating predefined tags that are customized to certain modes such as car-mode, office-mode or sleep-mode. Depending on location, the predefined tags will automatically adjust various phone settings including Wi-Fi, bluetooth, GPS and sound volume.

Beyond its already innovative features, attendees of MWC 2012 will see some of the future benefits that will be made available through a Maintenance Release or an application available on the LG SmartWorld (www.LGsmartworld.com). Additional features include:
- HD Converter to offer HD quality on a TV connected through MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link), when transforming Open GL-based 2D games and applications to 3D and viewing Google Earth;
- Range Finder to calculate the distance between the camera and the subject as well as the dimensions of an object through triangulation;
- Out-focusing Shot to enhance camera quality beyond that of other smartphones through image processing using depth information.

■ True 3D Entertainment Features with Improved 2D-3D Compatibility
Users can convert Google Earth, Google Maps and other road views into 3D using the enhanced 3D Converter. Furthermore, 3D photos and videos captured by the Optimus 3D Max can also be viewed in a single-screen mode in 2D, using the 3D Hot Key mounted on the side of the phone to easily toggle between 2D and 3D. LG also plans to continue expanding video contents, applications and games optimized for the 3D Converter available from the 3D Zone at LG SmartWorld.

■ True Excellence in Design with Slimmer and Lighter Body
The LG Optimus 3D Max’s premium design comes from LG’s commitment to fine details. LG focused on trimming details on the design of the Optimus 3D Max by keeping only the essentials and eliminating everything else. Measuring only 9.6 mm thin and weighing 148 grams, the lean body with metallic and rounded edges incorporates the best 3D features in addition to desirable 2D features. The Optimus 3D Max includes unique 3D-style cubicle icons which users can customize with their own photos through the Icon Customizer.

The Optimus 3D Max will first launch in Korea in March and will gradually roll out in other markets starting in Europe. The device will receive an upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich from Android 2.3 Gingerbread shortly after the launch.

Key Specifications:
o Chipset: 1.2GHz Dual-Core processor (OMAP4430)
o Display: 4.3-inch 3D WVGA Display with Corning? Gorilla? Glass 2
o Memory: 8GB Internal Storage, 1GB Internal Memory
o Camera: 5MP Dual-lens
o OS: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
o Battery: 1,520 mAh
o Others: HSPA+ 21Mbps, HDMI connection 2D/3D TV/monitor up to 1080p via MHL, DNLA for wireless connection with TV/PC (3D video also supported), NFC Full Support, LG Tag+

Well hello there Nokia! Nokia has just released a teaser-video of one of the devices they will release at Mobile World Congress.

Judging by the video, this device will be a high-end camera phone, quite possibly a successor the the Nokia N8. The video above is filled with great photos and tag lines like ‘Pure detail’, ‘Pure depth’ and ‘Pure definition.’ We’ve heard rumors of a 12-megapixel Lumia device, and a 12-megapixel or more Nokia Belle/Carla device.

We’ll know for sure on February 27 when Nokia’s announcements will take place.

Edit: As Jesse L. pointed out in the comments, the use of Pure tag lines would indicate that this teaser is of the Nokia 808 PureView. Thanks, Jesse!

Nokia C5-03 White

Just a quick heads-up to Nokia C5-03 owners out there, firmware version 22.0.7 is now available as an OTA update.

You can update your Nokia C5-03  firmware over OTA (Over-The-Air) or by using Windows PC applications  Nokia’s Software Updater or Nokia Suite. The Nokia C5-03  does have UDP (User Data Preservation), but its always good idea to backup all of your personal data before updating the device firmware. The update is about 32533 kB in size via OTA.

The changelog for this release is as follows:

• Improves phone’s performance and brings you the latest features

BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0

RIM released the long awaited update to the BlackBerry PlayBook today. PlayBook OS 2.0 is now available as an over-the-air update.

New BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 features include:

• Integrated email client with a powerful unified inbox: With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 you have the option to use a  unified inbox that consolidates all messages in one place, including messages from Facebook®, LinkedIn® and Twitter®, as well as personal and work email accounts.
• Social Integration with Calendar and Contacts apps:  The built-in calendar harnesses information from social networks and makes it available where and when users need it.  Contact cards are also dynamically populated with updated information from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to create a consolidated view of contacts.
• Updated BlackBerry Bridge app: BlackBerry® Bridge™ is a unique app that provides a Bluetooth® connection between your BlackBerry PlayBook and core apps on your BlackBerry® smartphone (including BBM™, Email, Contacts, Calendar and Browser) in order to let you view the content on the larger tablet display. With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, it’s easier and quicker than ever to take documents, web pages, emails and photos that appear on your BlackBerry smartphone and display them on your BlackBerry PlayBook for an optimized viewing and editing experience. The updated BlackBerry Bridge app also provides a new remote control feature that allows a BlackBerry smartphone to be used as a wireless keyboard and mouse for a BlackBerry PlayBook.
• Improved mobile productivity: Updated document editing functions, the new Print To Go app, and increased control and manageability of corporate data with BlackBerry® Balance ™ allow you to get more out of your BlackBerry PlayBook every day. Plus, an updated virtual keyboard with auto correction and predictive next word completion learns how you type to enable faster, more accurate typing.
• New apps and content: Thousands of new apps are being added to BlackBerry App World™ today (including a range of Android® apps that will run on the BlackBerry PlayBook). A new BlackBerry Video Store1 is launching today. Enhanced web browsing capabilities are also available with BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0.

Head over to this page for download and installation instructions on how to get updated to PlayBook OS 2.0.

Hit View Post for the press release.

New OS delivers an enriched user experience for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet users

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) announced that the new BlackBerry® PlayBook™ OS 2.0 will be released for download today. BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 delivers an enhanced tablet experience and allows you to use the BlackBerry PlayBook in new ways throughout the day – at work and at play.

“Building on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet’s proven web browsing, multimedia and multitasking strengths, the new BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 introduces a range of new communications and productivity enhancements as well as expanded app and content support,” said David J. Smith, SVP Mobile Computing, Research In Motion.

New BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 features include:

• Integrated email client with a powerful unified inbox: With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 you have the option to use a  unified inbox that consolidates all messages in one place, including messages from Facebook®, LinkedIn® and Twitter®, as well as personal and work email accounts.
• Social Integration with Calendar and Contacts apps:  The built-in calendar harnesses information from social networks and makes it available where and when users need it.  Contact cards are also dynamically populated with updated information from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to create a consolidated view of contacts.
• Updated BlackBerry Bridge app: BlackBerry® Bridge™ is a unique app that provides a Bluetooth® connection between your BlackBerry PlayBook and core apps on your BlackBerry® smartphone (including BBM™, Email, Contacts, Calendar and Browser) in order to let you view the content on the larger tablet display. With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, it’s easier and quicker than ever to take documents, web pages, emails and photos that appear on your BlackBerry smartphone and display them on your BlackBerry PlayBook for an optimized viewing and editing experience. The updated BlackBerry Bridge app also provides a new remote control feature that allows a BlackBerry smartphone to be used as a wireless keyboard and mouse for a BlackBerry PlayBook.
• Improved mobile productivity: Updated document editing functions, the new Print To Go app, and increased control and manageability of corporate data with BlackBerry® Balance ™ allow you to get more out of your BlackBerry PlayBook every day. Plus, an updated virtual keyboard with auto correction and predictive next word completion learns how you type to enable faster, more accurate typing.
• New apps and content: Thousands of new apps are being added to BlackBerry App World™ today (including a range of Android® apps that will run on the BlackBerry PlayBook). A new BlackBerry Video Store1 is launching today. Enhanced web browsing capabilities are also available with BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0.

In conjunction with the release of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, RIM is making available an initial release of BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion that will include support for managing BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and BlackBerry smartphones2 in an enterprise. The full release of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion (with mobile device management capabilities for iOS and Android devices) is planned for general availability in late March 2012. For more information about BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, please visit www.blackberry.com/mobilefusion.

Availability

The BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 software update is now available as a free download for all BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.

Additional Reference Material

• Inside BlackBerry blog post
• BlackBerry PlayBook web page
• BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 – How to Video
• Developer’s Getting Started web page

1) BlackBerry Video Store will initially be available in the United States. Support for other countries is expected to be added later this year.

2) BlackBerry Mobile Fusion Studio can be used to manage BlackBerry smartphones through a single unified console, supporting devices activated on BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 5.0.3 or later.

About Research In Motion
Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.

Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws.  When used herein, words such as “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”,  “may”,  “will”, “should”, “intend,” “believe”, and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by RIM in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that RIM believes are appropriate in the circumstances.  Many factors could cause RIM’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section of RIM’s Annual Information Form, which is included in its Annual Report on Form 40-F (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov).  These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on RIM’s forward-looking statements.  RIM has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, Research In Motion and BlackBerry are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries. Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.

ZTE Mimosa X

ZTE today announced a first-of-its-kind all-NVIDIA smartphone with the Mimosa X. It is the first device to pack NVIDIA’s dual-core Tegra 2 processor , NVIDIA GeForce GPU and NVIDIA Icera 450 HSPA+ modem. Other important specs for the Mimosa X include a 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540 pixel) capacitive TFT touchscreen, 5-megapixel autofocus and flash camera, 0.3-megapixel front facing camera, 4GB internal memory, microSD cards, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, accelerator, and a proximity sensor. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is what will power this new beast of a phone by ZTE.

Hit View Post to see the press release.

ZTE to Show New Mimosa X Handset Featuring NVIDIA Tegra Dual-Core Processor and NVIDIA Icera Modem at MWC 2012

ZTE smart phone to target high spec video and audio handset sector

February 21, 2012, Shenzhen, China – ZTE Corporation (“ZTE”) (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, is set to launch a new Android handset, the ZTE Mimosa X, running the NVIDIA® Tegra® 2 mobile processor and the NVIDIA Icera 450 HSPA+ modem, at the global telecoms industry event Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The ZTE Mimosa X will run Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and have a high quality QHD (960 x 540 pixel) capacitive TFT touchscreen. It will also come equipped with a 5 MP autofocus and flash camera, with a 0.3 MP front facing camera for video-calling.

The Mimosa X will also have a wide range of user-friendly capabilities built in, including GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, an accelerator for screen orientation management and firmware over the air (FOTA) updating, and a proximity sensor.

The ZTE Mimosa X handset, powered by the Tegra 2 processor, will be targeted at smart phone users who take their handset audio and video capabilities seriously. Features of the handset will include advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP), Dolby sound, digital living network alliance (DLNA) compatibility for easy sharing of content, HD video record and play, dual microphones, and built-in gyroscope. It also includes an Icera baseband processor, making it the first phone to incorporate this cutting-edge technology that was acquired last year by NVIDIA.

“The Tegra processor and Icera modem will play an important part in the development of the mobile handset market, and ZTE has worked closely with NVIDIA to develop the Mimosa X smart phone in time for launch at this major global telecoms industry event,” said Mr. He Shiyou,Executive Vice President and Head of the Terminal Division of ZTE. “We expect that the Tegra processor will have a big impact on the mainstream mobile communications world in the coming months and years.”

“The ZTE Mimosa X sets a milestone for the mobile computing industry,” said Michael Rayfield, General Manager of the Mobile business at NVIDIA. “This is the first time that both NVIDIA Tegra and Icera processors are powering a smartphone. The Mimosa X brings the outstanding performance and long battery life that Tegra has quickly become known for, into the mainstream smartphone market.”

The Mimosa X will be launched around Q2 2012.

iPhone 5 concept

Apple is known to launch a new iPhone each year in June or July. The first exception to this pattern happened last year with the announcement of the iPhone 4S, which was announced in October. Japanese website Macotakara reports now that the iPhone 5 will be released in September or October of this year, meaning that it will come roughly one year after the iPhone 4S. According to their sources the iPhone has now shifted into a fall release cycle.

How would it feel to get a new iPhone in the fall instead of the usual summer time frame?

LG L-series: L3, L5 and L7

LG unveiled a whole new series today called the L-series. The L3, L5 and L7 are the first members in this family.

The cheapest of the trio is the L3. The LG L3 comes with a 3.2-inch display at a 240 x 320 resolution, 3-megapixel camera, and running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

The LG L5 again is a mid-range device that runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Other features include a 4-inch screen together with “enhance readability”, which would indicate a high resolution display.

The most expensive of the trio is the LG L7. It comes with a 4.3-inch “cinematic” display, and it too will run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. If you take a look at the image above, you’ll see that the L7 is extremely thin. The device is only a little bit thicker than the microUSB port that can be seen in the image.

More exact specs for the LG L-series are currently unknown.

iPad 2 vs iPad 3

Another day, another iPad 3 rumor. Today we get side by side pictures of the iPad 2 and iPad 3.

The image above (and below) shows that the iPad 3 will be a little bit thicker than the iPad 2. MacRumors estimates that the difference in thickness is roughly 1-1.5mm. The increased thickness is probably caused by a larger battery, and the brighter backlight that the high resolution screen needs.

Current rumors suggest that we’ll see the iPad 3 announced on March 7th.

Hit View Post to see another side by side comparison.

Samsung Galaxy Ace 2

Samsung unveiled two new smartphones today – the Galaxy Ace 2 and the Galaxy Mini 2. As their names suggest, both of these new devices are direct upgrades to existing smartphones.

The Galaxy Ace 2 will be run by an 800MHz dual-core processor, 3.8-inch WVGA display, GPS/Glonass, 4GB internal memory, 768MB of RAM, microSD card slot, 5-megapixel camera capable of 720p video recording, WiFi and WiFi Direct support. Android 2.3 with TouchWiz UI 4.0 will ensure that you’ll get a ton of games and apps installed on this device.

The Galaxy Mini 2 again has an 800MHz single-core processor, 3.3-inch HVGA display, a-GPS, 4GB internal memory, 512MB of RAM, microSD card slot and a 3-megapixel camera. Android 2.3 with TouchWiz is also powering this device. We’ll also see a set of trendy changeable battery covers on this one.

The Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 will go on sale in selected markets in April, while the Galaxy Mini 2 will hit some stores in March.

Hit View Post to see a render of the Samsung Galaxy Mini 2.

Samsung Galaxy Mini 2

Nokia Lumia 710 - White

The Nokia Lumia 710 will be available in Finland on February 22. The store where I work received the first batch today, and here is the live gallery of the phone in question.

Most important features:

• GSM frequencies: 850/900/1800/1900MHz
• 3G frequencies: 900/1900/2100MHz
• OS: Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 Mango
• Screen: 3.7-inch TFT, 480 x 800 resolution, 16.7M colors, capacitive touch, ClearBlack Display
• CPU: 1.4 GHz prosessori, Qualcomm MSM8255, GPU
• Camera: 5.0-megapixels (2592×1944), video 720p@30fps, LED flash, AF, Geo-Tagging
• Memory: 8 GB internal storage, 512MB RAM
• Connections: GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA (14.4Mbps), HSUPA (5.76Mbps), WLAN (b/g/n), Bluetooth (v2.1 + A2DP + EDR), microUSB (2.0)
• Other: Internal GPS (A-GPS), FM radio (RDS), active noise cancellation, digital compass, MS Office
• Video playback: MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV
• Music playback: MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA
• Battery: Li-Ion 1300 mAh
• Standby: 400 h / 400 h (GSM/3G)
• Talk: 6 h 50 min h / 7 h 40 min (GSM/3G)
• Music playback: 38 h
• Size: 119 x 62.4 x 12.5 mm
• Weight: 125.5 g

The phone is currently selling for a price of 298€.

Hit View Post to see the the live gallery of the Nokia Lumia 710 in white (international, no T-Mobile branding).

Panasonic Eluga

Woha! Panasonic is back! Panasonic unveiled the Eluga smartphone today. The Android powered Eluga packs a 4.3-inch OLED  screen at a 960 x 540 resolution. The waterproof and dustproof smartphone does also include an NFC chip for conviniet shopping. You could call the Eluga very light with it weighing only 103g. Expect to see the Eluga hit stores in Europe soon.

Edited with specs: 4.3-inch qHD touchscreen, IP57-certified, 8-megapixel camera, 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4430 processor, HSPA and WiFi connectivity, 8GB of built-in memory, NFC, and ability to act as a remote control for Panasonic HDTVs.

Samsung invivation March 15

Samsung has earlier told that they will skip this year’s Mobile World Congress, and announce the lineup for 2012 at some other event. Now it appears that this Samsung hosted announcement party will be held on March 15 in Amsterdam.

We don’t know if the company plans to announce the much awaited Galaxy S III at this event. The invitation states that Samsung will introduce their line-up for 2012, so it is highly possible that we’ll get a bit of everything, and hopefully the Galaxy S III, too.

China Mobile

China is expected to hit 1 billion mobile subscriptions at the end of February or in early March. All three operators in China announced today that there are currently 988 million subscriptions.

The largest operator, China Mobile, has currently 655 million subscriptions, of which 54 million are 3G-internet subscriptions. The second largest is China Unicom with 203 million subscriptions, of which 43 million are 3G-internet subscribers. China Telecom clocked in at 129 million subscriptions, of which 39 million are 3G-internet subscribers.

Nokia Windows Phone with Tango

Chinese WPDang.com reports that Windows Phone Tango with support for Chinese will hit China in March. The site adds that at least Nokia, HTC, LG and ZTE will be among the first companies to launch a Tango-based device in China. The picture above is a Nokia branded device running a Chinese version of Windows Phone Tango. I looks exactly like a Lumia 800, but with a Chinese version of the software. We can’t say if there’s been some changes under the hood.